Should Afro-Asiatic be disbanded?

[MARAQ DIGAAG]

Yeah, Oromo is the closest language to Somali and yet it is completely unintelligible to me.

That shouldn’t come as surprise as some Somali dialects like Af Maay and Jiddu are sometimes unintelligible to Af Maxa Tiri speakers. Oromo and Somali have been isolated from each other for thousands of years after the earlier Cushitic splits.

From the clips Awale of Anthro madness posted on YouTube, Rendille sounds more intelligible to a Somali speaker.

 

[MARAQ DIGAAG]

All Ethiopian/Eritrean Semitic languages (except may be Arabic) have Cushitic influence to different degrees. The more the south the more the Cushitic influence. As one here mentioned, the word "Af" for example means mouth in both Amharic and Tigrinya and in Somali I think it means language (?), I am not sure but it has something to do with speaking I guess.

Af means both a language and mouth in Somali.

 

[xabashi]

You're right. Tigrey/tingrinye? are closer to the original ge'ez, whereas amharic and others are closer to the Agew/sidama languages they replaced.

Sidama? You must have no clue about Ethiopian languages. When it comes to culture, Amhara culture is closer to Agew but when it comes to language, I don't think Amharic is even near to Agew. Because when I hear Agews speak, I can't detect a word let alone understand, the same goes to Oromo. It is so weird because these people lived with Amharic speakers for centuries but any Amharic speaker can't even understand 1% of their language. Sidama??? Sidama is way too south and there is not even a border to Amhara region.

I have heard Argoba, a Semitic language in Shoa, should be the closest to Amharic but yet again when they speak, I can't detect a word. For me as Amharic speak I can detect many words in Gurage language. Of course Geez based languages like Tigrinya, it is way easier to find many similar words as to at least guess the subject of the matter. That should be also true for Agew and Oromo but it is simply not. Watching Oromo TV for me for example is like watching a complete foreign language with zero clue to even guess what the hell they are talking about. This is very weird.

 

[Prince Abubu]

Sidama? You must have no clue about Ethiopian languages. When it comes to culture, Amhara culture is closer to Agew but when it comes to language, I don't think Amharic is even near to Agew. Because when I hear Agews speak, I can't detect a word let alone understand, the same goes to Oromo. It is so weird because these people lived with Amharic speakers for centuries but any Amharic speaker can't even understand 1% of their language. Sidama??? Sidama is way too south and there is not even a border to Amhara region.

I have heard Argoba, a Semitic language in Shoa, should be the closest to Amharic but yet again when they speak, I can't detect a word. For me as Amharic speak I can detect many words in Gurage language. Of course Geez based languages like Tigrinya, it is way easier to find many similar words as to at least guess the subject of the matter. That should be also true for Agew and Oromo but it is simply not. Watching Oromo TV for me for example is like watching a complete foreign language with zero clue to even guess what the hell they are talking about. This is very weird.

It's not about what you detect. Obviously, you won't understand a completely different language you haven't learnt. I can't understand a single word in Afmaay, and that is just another dialect of Somali. Amharic is basically Agew that has been semiticised. Meaning, that when the ancient south semites came to the HOA, there language mixed with Agew to make Amharic. The same happened with Sidaama in the south and Gurage/Harari languages. Tigrey was also influinced by Beja, Bilen and Afar/Saho. The only languages that escaped mixing were Somali and Oromo.

Sidaamo is not a Southern language. It is a Highland East Cushitic, meaning it originally cam from north Ethiopian highlands. In fact, there is evidence that Sidaamo, or a language related to it, was spoken by the ancient Kushites/Kermans of Sudan.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerma_culture#Language

 

[government]

It's not about what you detect. Obviously, you won't understand a completely different language you haven't learnt. I can't understand a single word in Afmaay, and that is just another dialect of Somali. Amharic is basically Agew that has been semiticised. Meaning, that when the ancient south semites came to the HOA, there language mixed with Agew to make Amharic. The same happened with Sidaama in the south and Gurage/Harari languages. Tigrey was also influinced by Beja, Bilen and Afar/Saho. The only languages that escaped mixing were Somali and Oromo.

Sidaamo is not a Southern language. It is a Highland East Cushitic, meaning it originally cam from north Ethiopian highlands. In fact, there is evidence that Sidaamo, or a language related to it, was spoken by the ancient Kushites/Kermans of Sudan.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerma_culture#Language

What do you mean you can't understand a single word of AF maay
Are you exaggerating

 

[Apollo]

Sidamas are mixed with Omotics. Basically, any Cushitic group in the SNNPR regions are Omotic sheegad.

 

[Prince Abubu]

What do you mean you can't understand a single word of AF maay
Are you exaggerating

I've listened to Afmaay on Youtube and it sounds like Oromo to me. Maybe, I can catch a word here or there, but it's all unintellible to me.

 

[Apollo]

I've listened to Afmaay on Youtube and it sounds like Oromo to me. Maybe, I can catch a word here or there, but it's all unintellible to me.

Probably because your Somali sucks. You are not a native speaker.

 

[Prince Abubu]

Probably because your Somali sucks. You are not a native speaker.

My Somali does suck, but I'm pretty sure I'm a native speaker. Unless you think I'm Chinese or something?

 

[government]

My Somali does suck, but I'm pretty sure I'm a native speaker. Unless you think I'm Chinese or something?

I think he meant that you don't speak Somali at a native level when I hear AF maay I understand 80%~ of what is being said and I could understand what they are talking about

 

[Apollo]

My Somali does suck, but I'm pretty sure I'm a native speaker. Unless you think I'm Chinese or something?

IMO, native speaker is = first language + highly fluent (the language you dream, think in etc).. not just your ethnic language.

 

[World]

Oromo and Somali are much less similar than German and Scandinavian languages are. I can assure you that at least. I can get the gist of a Scandinavian text, but Oromo text is a mystery to me.

What about the Af Maay dialect? Is it closer to normal Somali than Scandinavian languages are to each other?

 

[Apollo]

What about the Af Maay dialect? Is it closer to normal Somali than Scandinavian languages are to each other?

Ask a Nordcuck.

 

[Jinchuriki]

Geel/gaal might be a borrowed word, though. Someone told me camel in Yemeni dialect of Arabic is "Gaal".

In yemen both qaf and geem are ga sounds, they gamal like the maasari and galam like the other khaleej.

The geel very old, i would say the Afro asiatic van of moving place to place. The Arabs, berbers, eygptians, hausa, beja and somalis travelled with camels.

Most of the AA languages have sophiscated ways of calling camels that are developing and developed. Like in af somali

Like awr male pack of camels
Hal female camel
Rati male camel

Its a whole big ting, all aa apart from raw meat oromo and amxaros despise the geel.

 

[Jinchuriki]

What about the Af Maay dialect? Is it closer to normal Somali than Scandinavian languages are to each other?

Af maay maay has alot of bantu and oromo elements tho.

 

[AfranQallo]

Oromo and Somali are much less similar than German and Scandinavian languages are. I can assure you that at least. I can get the gist of a Scandinavian text, but Oromo text is a mystery to me.

It’s not that the 2 languages are “much lesser”. They are very similar if you understand both languages. It’s that some words within each language are slightly pronounced differently. If a Somali were to try and learn Afaan Oromo, the easiest dialects they’d choose are the eastern(hararge) and Borana/ Garre dialects. There are a lot of similarities once you dig deeper.

I found this online a while ago, kind of interesting how similar the numbers are within all these Cushitic languages..

Proto-HEC+ *mitto *lamo *sase *shoole *omute *leho *lamala *saddzee *honso *ton-me

Burji micca, lama, fadi, foola, umutta, lia, lamala, hiditta, womfa, tanna

Gedeo mitte, lame, sase, shoole, onde, jaane, torbaane, saddeeta, sallane, tomme

Hadiyya mato, lamo, saso, sooro, onto, loho, lamara, sadeento, honso, tommo

Kambata matu, lamu, sasu, shoolo, onto, leho, lamala, hezzetto, honso, torduma

Sidamo mitte, lame, sase, shoole, onte, leye, lamala, sette, honse, tonne

Yaaku wehe, c'e, xaat, çwen, xoopi, ilé, tisíbo', siite', saakal, qapon

Birale akala lama zéha talaxa hobbe s'anafa taxanke íísta gólanke coma

Tsamay dóokko lakkí zeeħ sálaħ xóobin tábben táħħan sézzen góllan kúŋko

Afar iník-i nammáy-a sidóx-u firéy-i konóy-u lixéy-i malxíin-i ba-xáar-a sa-gáal-a tában-a

Saho iniik lammaa adoh afaar koon leeh maleheen bahaar sagaal tammon

Dasenech tákac naama seddi ?affur cen li tiyya síét saal tommon

Elmolo+ t'óko l'ááma séépe láfur kên yíi tíípa fúe sáákal t'ómon

Arbore tokkó laamá seezzé ?afúr čénn ĝih tuzba suyé saagald tommon:d

Bayso 'ko: 'lama 'sele '?afar 'ken 'le todo'ba si'd:e 'sa:gar 'tomo

Rendille kôw l'áma s'éyyaħ 'áfar cán liħ teeb'á sitt'êt saag'ál tom'ón

Somali kow, laba, sadeh, afar, shan, leh, todoba, sideed, sagal, toban

Tunni ków lámma síddi? áfar šán lí? toddóbo síyéed sagáal tómon

Aweer (Boni) kôw lôw síddè áfar shâŋ líh didd'óú siyy'êd s'áágal tam'án

Oromo tokko/takka lama sadii afur shan ja’ah torba saddeet sagal kudan

Borana toko lama sadi afur shian jaa torba sadeti sagal kudan

Gidole (Dirasha) shokku lak(ki) halpatt afur hen leh tapp lakkushet hund'a

Bussa (Muusiye) shukk'uha taammu halpatta afurii henii lehi seppa saatteti hund'a

Konso takki lakki sessa afur ken lehi tappa sette sakal kud`an

 

[Factz]

You're right. Tigrey/tingrinye? are closer to the original ge'ez, whereas amharic and others are closer to the Agew/sidama languages they replaced.

Oromo is the closest language to Somali and yet it is completely unintelligible to me.

Brother, you got it all wrong. Amhara is part of the Ethio-Semitic langauge while Sidamo is part of highland eastern Cushitic language closely related to Hadiye and Kambaata. Plus, Agew is part of the central Cushitic language.

Breaking down into the Ethio-Semitic languages. Tigrinya, Tigre and Ge'ez are on one sub-group while Amharic, Argobba, Harari, Silte and Gurage languages are a different sub-group.

By the way, the closest Cushitic people to Somalis are Afar and Saho genetically, culturally and linguistically. Oromos may be from the same branch of Somalis within lowland eastern Cushitic but you have to consider it has sub-groups since lowland eastern Cushitic is the biggest branch among all Cushitic speaking people.

 

[xabashi]

It's not about what you detect. Obviously, you won't understand a completely different language you haven't learnt. I can't understand a single word in Afmaay, and that is just another dialect of Somali. Amharic is basically Agew that has been semiticised. Meaning, that when the ancient south semites came to the HOA, there language mixed with Agew to make Amharic. The same happened with Sidaama in the south and Gurage/Harari languages. Tigrey was also influinced by Beja, Bilen and Afar/Saho. The only languages that escaped mixing were Somali and Oromo.

Sidaamo is not a Southern language. It is a Highland East Cushitic, meaning it originally cam from north Ethiopian highlands. In fact, there is evidence that Sidaamo, or a language related to it, was spoken by the ancient Kushites/Kermans of Sudan.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerma_culture#Language

Dude you are making so many assumptions without any evidence. How come I can understand so many words and even can guess the subject etc. when it comes to Geez based languages and I can't even detect a word of a language that is supposedly is the same language with Amharic? That doesn't make any sense to me. Anyway I am not a language expert what I am saying is based on what I am experiencing. What people claim online and what I personally experience simply doesn't match. Even basic words like numbers, body parts or many other basic words of Amharic are simply different from Agew or Oromo. So, I am just puzzled where you get the narrative of Amharic is basically agew from? For example when you listen the numbers being counted in Oromo and Af Somali, you will find so many similarities but nothing like this with Agew and Amharic. Forget Sidaamo, I don't even go there and you are the first person to make such connection ever. So forget it.

 

[xabashi]

Btw, there are also Amharic Semitic words that are not used in Geez or Tigrinya (?) like Mewded (yedı̂yd/יָדִיד) meaning to love. Kebede (kâbôd/כָּבֹד) meaning literally weight but figuratively glory (the literally and the figurative is the same in both Hebrew and Amharic).
Linguistics say that Amharic has around 30% Cushitic vocabulary though.

 

[MARAQ DIGAAG]

In yemen both qaf and geem are ga sounds, they gamal like the maasari and galam like the other khaleej.

The geel very old, i would say the Afro asiatic van of moving place to place. The Arabs, berbers, eygptians, hausa, beja and somalis travelled with camels.

Most of the AA languages have sophiscated ways of calling camels that are developing and developed. Like in af somali

Like awr male pack of camels
Hal female camel
Rati male camel

Its a whole big ting, all aa apart from raw meat oromo and amxaros despise the geel.

Geel is not a very old word and it is highly unlikely that it comes from afroasiatic or proto afro Asiatic because the camel was domesticated far later. It was probably a loan word from Semitic which entered Cushitic after the people added camel herding to their previous culture of cattle herding.

The evidence is clearly evident in the Somali language. The clan Gaaljecel, Abgaal, the word Dabagaale, the word Hadhubgaal, etc, all show that Gaal was changed into Geel by Somalis. Most of the other surrounding groups still use the word Gaal for camel.

Secondly, entire groups of Oromo practise camel herding, especially the Borana, not all Oromo are sedentary folks. I think it is inaccurate to say they hate camels. As for Amharas, their regions are not really suited to camel herding.

The original proto-Somalis and all Cushitic people were mostly farmers at one point in time. Proto-Somalis cultivated grains like Sareen,Garaw, Misangoo.........Some Somalis like the Raxanweyn, Madame et al converted to an Agro pastoral culture whilst others converted to full time camel herding as they settled Southern and Northern Somalia.